Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P accident near Bethany, Oklahoma, July 23, 1999
On July 23, 1999 at about 4:13 pm local time, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P, registered N345LS, was destroyed in an accident near Bethany, Oklahoma (Wiley Post Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain the minimum controllable airspeed. A factor was the disconnected rubber interconnect boot, which resulted in the partial loss of left engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1999 · about 4:13 pm local time
- Place
- Bethany, Oklahoma · Wiley Post Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N345LS · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0315-085
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff, the twin-engine airplane was observed to roll left, pitch nose down, and impact terrain shortly after the pilot reported to ATC that he had a problem. Witnesses reported that the left engine was producing black smoke during the takeoff roll. One witness stated that the airplane had slowed to approximately 60-70 mph prior to rolling to the left. A mechanic, who worked on the airplane prior to the accident, stated that the pilot reported being unable to maintain manifold pressure (MP) with the left engine. The mechanic found that the left engine's rubber interconnect boot, which routes induction air between the turbocharger controller elbow and the fuel servo, was 'gaping open.' The mechanic reseated the boot and tightened the clamp. The pilot flew the airplane and reported no problems. During a second flight, the pilot reported that the left engine was again unable to maintain MP. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot informed the mechanic that the 'hose had slid off again' and that it had been reinstalled and he 'felt sure it was o.k.' A witness stated that he saw the pilot working on the left engine the morning of the accident. At the accident site, the left engine's interconnect boot was found disconnected. The clamp securing the boot was not located. No other pre-impact anomalies were found with the engines, propellers, turbochargers, or fuel servos.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,945 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1999; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PWA at 4:13 pm
- Destination: SJT San Angelo TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from PWA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.